Lipstick container



April 4, 1950 H. B. GREENE I LIPSTICK CONTAINER Filed March 4, 1947 Patented Apr. 4, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LIPSTICK CONTAINER Howard B. Greene, Cheshire, Conn, assignor to Metalite, Inc., Meriden, Conn.

The present invention has reference to holders or containers for lip rouge, lipstick and other cosmetic materials, and has for one of its objects the provision of a device of this character of simplified construction, utilizing few parts and provided with means bywhich the lip rouge is positively fed or delivered in requisite amounts to its point of application.

Many lip rouge containers and applicators, as known at the present time, hold the lip rouge in stick form and in relatively short and thick shape, thus making the application of the rouge on the lips somewhat difficult and the accuracy of placement of the rouge on the lips uncertain. It is thus desirable to present the rouge in the form of a thin, pencil-like stick, since the use of the rouge in such form provides a relatively small end or tip permitting accurate application of the rouge on the lips. The present invention therefore contemplates the provision of the lip rouge in such form, and a simple but effective means for feeding the rouge out of the holder to expose a suificient quantity when desired and as needed, the remainder of the stick beinghoused within the container and maintained in clean and sanitary condition.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a holder and applicator of this character, means by which the container may be refilled by the insertion of a cartridge-like filler, with the result that the task of filling the container is a simple one and during the filling operation any direct contact of the fingers with the rouge is avoided. The invention also contemplates the provision of a holder which can also, because of its economical construction, be discarded when empty, if the use of a refill is deemed inexpedient or for any reason undesirable.

More specifically, the invention contemplates the provision of a lip rouge containing chamber or holder in the form of an open-ended tube, with the rouge contained therein and arranged to be slid through the tube toward and out of one of its open ends; and of a cap or closure member arranged to fit over and close either end of th tube, said cap member being provided with an extended part or stem of such a diameter that it will fit within the tube to be thus manually urged against the inner end of the lip rouge to thereby force the lip rouge toward the outlet end of the tube or holder to be expressed therefrom in such desired amount as may be required when it is desired to apply the rouge to the lips.

These and other objects are attained by the invention, as will be hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claim appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof, Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a lip rouge container and applicator constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the same; Fig. 3 shows the cap member being employed as a push rod for the purpose of urging the lip rouge out of its holder, a portion of the lip rouge holder being shown in section; Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, and Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

With reference to the drawing, I indicates the lip rouge holder or body portion of the container. The same may be made of thin metal, plastic or some other suitable material, and in the form shown is of tubular shape and open at both of its ends. The rear open end of the holder I is indicated at 2, and the forward open end through which the lip rouge 5 is expressed or forced out, is indicated at 3. The edge of the holder I around the outlet opening 3 is bevelled and inturned slightly to thereby provide an aperture slightly less in diameter than the internal diameter of the holder I, to compact and grip the lip rouge 5.

The lip rouge contained in the holder I is shown at 5 and the same is in the form of a relatively thin and cylindrical stick and is of the usual soft and plastic nature. The inner wall surfaces of the holder I are smooth and uninterrupted so that as pressure is imposed on the rear end of the lip rouge 5 it will be forced toward the outlet opening 3 and of the same to a required extent as needed for application to the lips. At the rear or inner end of the lip rouge is provided a backing disk 9, which may be of rubber, felt or other suitable material, and this disk not only serves to protect the inner end of the lip rouge from dust and dirt, but it also constitutes a piston element against which force is exerted to cause it to move the lip rouge axially of the holder and out of the outlet end 3 of the same.

At 6 is disclosed a combined cap or closure device, and feeder or push rod. This cap member 6 is formed with a socket portion 8 at one end, of such an internal diameter as to enable it to frictionally fit on either end of the rouge holder I and constitute a cover therefor. Extending from the socket portion 8 and constituting a possible integral extension thereof, is a rodlike element I. The diameter of this rod-like element is such that it freely fits within the interior of the rouge holder 1 and when it is desired to force or feed the lip rouge 5 out of the holde I, the cap member 6 is removed from ofi the holder l and with the socket portion 8 used as a finger-piece and held in the hand, the rodlike extension 'I is thrust into the open end 2 of the rouge holder 1, as shown in Fig. 3, and the closed end of the rod '1 is forcibly applied against the backing disk 9. As pressure is applied to the cap member 6, the rod 'i will act as a push rod and force the backing disk 9 and the rouge in front of it toward the outlet opening 3 until the required amount of the lip rouge has been expressed out of the end 3 for application to the lips. After the few uses of the device, the user soon determines the correct amount of pressure required to force the desired amount of lip rouge out of the holder 1, with the result that no more rouge than is actually required will be exposed and the device will thus be not only found to be economical to use but will retain the lip rouge contents in a sanitary manner.

When the device is being carried in a handbag, the cap or closure member 6 is fitted over the outlet end 3 of the rouge holder and it thus covers and protects the exposed end or tip of the lip rouge. At the rear or inner end of the rouge, the backing disk 9 serves as a covering or closure, thereby protecting that end of the rouge from dust and dirt. When applying the rouge to the lips, the cover or cap member 6 is removed from over the outlet end 3 and is fitted over the rear end 2, so that during the application of the rouge to the lips, the user is thus provided with a relatively long and thin pencil-like applicator which is very conveniently and steadily held in the hand and enables the rouge to be accurately applied as a result.

Since the device is only composed of two parts, namely, the lip rouge holder I and the closure cap member 6 it will be obvious that it may be very economically constructed and sold, with the result that when the lip rouge contents of the holder are exhausted the entire holder may be thrown away. On the other hand, if it is desired to make the device of such material that this will be inexpedient, refill cartridges may be provided which will enable the holder to be repeatedly used. Such a cartridge may consist of a tube such as shown at I filled with the lip rouge 5 and containing the backing disk 9 and it is made ready for use by merely inserting the push rod 1 as shown in Fig. 3 and expressing a required amount of the lip rouge out of it for application to the lips, and thereafter the cover or closure member 6 is fitted over the exposed end of the lip rouge.

While I have herein shown the device in a certain form and shape, and have shown the parts thereof, and particularly the elements I and 6, as being each made from a single piece of material, it will be obvious that not only the shape and proportions of these elements may be varied, but the same may be composed of several sections suitably united to provide the desired results. These and other modifications will be understood as being comprehended as within the scope of the invention and the claim appended hereto.

What I claim is:

A lip rouge container having a tubular body open at both of its ends, lip rouge contained within the body, a disk within the body in back of the lip rouge to snugly fit and close the rear end of the body behind the lip rouge; a closure cap for fitment over either end of the body, said closure cap having an integral rod-like extension of greater length than the cap and of an outside diameter less than that of the cap and only slightly less than the internal diameter of the body, thereby permitting said extension to be slidably inserted within the body behind the disk and lip rouge therein and used as a push-rod to urge the lip rouge out of the forward end of the body while the cap remains exteriorly of the body to be used as a handle portion facilitating the slidable insertion of the rod-like extension within the body, the cap being capable of fitment on either end of the body so that when fitted on the rear end thereof the rod-like extension of the cap will constitute a lengthy rearward extension of the body of a diameter closely approximating that of the body.

HOWARD B. GREENE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,226,432 Young May 15, 1917 1,387,063 Matsugaki Aug. 9, 1921 1,491,612 Martin, Jr. Apr. 22, 1924 1,495,800 Becke May 27, 1924 2,026,266 Booty Dec. 31, 1935 2,412,999 Mackey Dec. 24, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 17,721 Great Britain Sept. 15, 1904 715,889 France Dec. 10, 1931 

